After being at the centre of contentious media attention for the past two years, Will Smith said he now has “to be clear about who I am and what I am attempting to do in the world".
“I can't need others to applaud for me to stay focused on my mission,” he said during a public conversation on Saturday at Vox Cinemas in Jeddah’s Red Sea Mall.
“I have always wanted to put good into the world. I've always wanted to make people smile. I’ve always been devoted to the process of joy and inspiration.”
The actor was in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival. During the discussion, he shared his experiences in the music and film industries, charting his rise to fame and hinting at the mistakes that have plagued his career recently. The event was one of Smith's longest public appearances in the wake of his Oscars slap.
The actor did not explicitly reference the incident. However, he did touch upon his drive to grow and learn from his experiences.
“I am deeply human, and my virtue is not yet perfected,” he said. “I am in the process of perfecting my virtue. One of, I would say, the greatest thing that has happened is I have been deeply humbled and deeply inspired to perfect my light. That’s what this next phase of my life is going to be.”
Smith hinted that his future aspirations would revolve around mentoring a new generation of filmmakers. “I really want to teach,” he said. “I really want to teach filmmaking. I want to work with people on big movies.”
He also suggested that his pedagogical ambitions were international and expressed his amazement at Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning film industry. “What's exciting to me about Saudi is it's a brand new film community,” he said. “So, it's brand new filmmakers.”
Having travelled across the world to promote and create his films – an initiative that found momentum, Smith said, after advice given by Arnold Schwarzenegger – the actor said he developed an understanding towards what made films strike a universal chord.
“I understand that tiny little adjustments make things global,” he said. “To be able to take local stories and make them global. I’m excited to travel the world and collaborate and be able to teach and build [a] global storytelling community.
"I have a deep faith in the power of sharing our stories with one another, to help heal wounds, to help learn about each other. I feel like this next phase of my life is going to be working in global collaborations to create an exchange of our stories.”
Smith said he hopes to reach people the way certain figures have supported and inspired him along the years. He named famous US record producer Quincy Jones for having an indispensable effect on his growth as an artist and person.
“I think Quincy Jones has probably been the most prevalent in my life,” he said. “He's always been very, very present. He wants me to win as a human. He's devoted to me as a human, not just as an artist. He's really taught me and inspire me the way that I want to be available to the next generation.”
The actor also touched upon the blockbusters he has in the pipeline. These will include Bad Boys 4, another installment in his highly successful collaboration with Martin Lawrence.
“We’re shooting Bad Boys 4, and it’s a reunion with Martin. It was 30 years ago that we made the first one,” Smith said, adding that the first film of the franchise was what showed him the power of collaboration on film.
“What I [also] realised is, people grow up with the movies,” he said. “We’re growing up together and it’s almost a relationship [with the audience] that gets created when you make that many films over that much time.”
Another exciting project in the works is a sequel to the zombie thriller I Am Legend, which will also feature Creed star Michael B Jordan, Smith said.
“I’m probably giving up too much information,” he said. “In the theatrical version, my character dies. But on the DVD, there is an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived. We’re going with the mythology of the DVD version. I can’t tell you more, but Michael B Jordan is in.”
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Range: Up to 610km
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
